Can someone explain to a rookie what RAW pics are and the benefit? I'm shooting about 200 shots per day....is that about right?
16553
RAW is like a music track on a CD or a master while JPEG is like a compressed MP3 file -- they can sound indistinguishable but sometimes the MP3 won't sound quite as good. When a camera creates a JPEG image file, it tosses out data that appears to be unnecessary in order to make a smaller file. A RAW file is essentially the unprocessed image data and contains every last literal bit of image information. This gives you a wide latitude for manually adjusting white balance, etc. and bringing out details in dark and bright areas that might have been lost had the camera processed the image into a JPEG. For this reason, RAW can allow you fix images much easier. For example, if you've over-exposed certain areas in the scene so they look completely white, with RAW, you may be able to salvage some detail from those areas which wold have been processed away in a JPEG.
2116534
Regular photos cannot be manipulated much because the camera is doing it for you. Raw format allows you to play with all the colors and contrasts as much a possible
227186
Naw. Just the way I am built. Not much facial fat or muscle. Felt guilty about it for most of my life. Just embrace it now. It is about an easily repeatable firm position tied to a maximized sight picture.It is not open to the public. Just six of the countries best 25 shooters trying to improve 24 of us over three days, who are trying hard to be better. One guy shot prone 200 17X on a 100 yard reduced 600 yd NRA course. Still the X is the size of a nickel and the IRON sights are factory. Wish I could say it was me. Best wishes.
372898
I've been using the camera for a couple of days and shot a couple of hundred photos and multiple videos totaling about 30 minutes. I've used the zoom a lot with both stills and videos. Still three bars. I'm so happy. I'm going to keep going and I will let you know of something emerges. I'm encouraged because, having owned the SX280, I can tell you that it would have failed by now for sure. Fingers crossed,Don
907276
I no longer have the Pentax *ist, so I cannot recall exactly what page in the camera's menu settings you need to go. Please check the manual for setting what you shoot in - JPEG, RAW, and/or RAW+. Sounds as if you want to set it to RAW. It is considered to be a step better than just JPEG. Having image files in RAW format creates much more data in an image's file, so this allows us to have more flexibility in tweaking and improving much of the data that goes into creating a photograph through applications such as Photo Elements, iPhoto, Lightroom, Photoshop, etc. If you do not have the manual - which is an important read before even turning on a camera - check online in the Pentax (now Ricoh) webpage - or the very helpful, informative, and interesting www.pentaxforums.com. Good luck!
2015331
Depending on how much you use flash, delve frequently into menus, etc., you can usually expect pretty decent battery life. I've gone a whole day shooting over 200 exposures without depleting the battery entirely.
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Hi Mr. Hewitt (I wonder if we have any relation?) Anyway, for a true beginner (as in you've never used anything but a point-and-shoot) I'd recommend you get a Nikon D40 and an 18-200 VR. Keep the 18-55 kit lens, you'll find it lighter when your just taking snapshots of the family or whatever. The D40 is an excellent starter camera, it has almost all the tweaks of this much more expensive camera without the weight and cost. The D300 has many advantages over it, but I really feel you'll learn a lot faster with a simpler camera, and step up to this when your ready. I actually started out with a D40 a bit over a year ago, it made starting out quite fun. The 18-200VR will follow you as a great lens on the D300 too, and you can use any newer AF-S lenses on it. If you have older AF-D Nikon lenses lying around that you want to use, a D80 is also a good place to start. It's easier to make the custom tweaks you'll learn about in your photography classes on the D80, but it still has Auto modes as well to get you started. Checkout www.kenrockwell.com, especially his recommended camera page. He's a bit more eloquent than I am. And I wouldn't be so fast to recommend the D60 to anyone, it's just the D40x's guts (plus active D-Lighting, but without the other enhancements of the D300/D3) with a different name stamped on it. I wouldn't recommend the D40x or D60 to anyone, they exist to fill a price point to compete with Canon. If your eyeballing either, jump to the D80 and don't look back.
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Hi William. I was able to get better hand held pictures by increasing my shutter speed. Sometimes it is not convenient to carry a tripod when the objective is to find a bee on a flower. By the time you get set up, the object is gone. I have two good tripods and will use them when I have to. I really appreciate your insight on VR and how it doesn't help in macro photography. I feel a lot better about my lens now and am getting some really good detailed shots with it. Thanks again. Ken
153999
You should have went with your original pic.All you get here is a bunch of canon ads.Any camera mentioned turns into buy canon.Ive been a pro for over 40 years.I use Nikon. Canons are about the same.In point and shoot Its a different game.Just a word of caution. Protect the lens.When not in use KEEP IT IN A CASE!Putting it your purse or pocket will let dirt into the lens.That's why everyone says my lens stopped working after a few months.You bought the inferior camera.Sorry
481712
Not bad, I would suggest going to the more expensive no-flash if you can afford it? If not this is a great camera for the money, I had one mature deer get spooked from the leds firing. Takes nice pics, make sure you go with a 4gb or bigger card and what Browning recommends for sd cards.
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I'd say - Depends upon how fast and furious you shoot, and how often you download. I use San Disk Extreme II and III, 1g and 2g cards, and download almost every day. You get about 285 full res pics on a 1g card. I suggest getting the fastest cards you can afford as the speed of the card will partially determine how fast the buffer clears, which in turn, effects how many shots you get on a single burst in burst mode. Personally, I use several smaller cards - 1 and 2 gig - rather than a larger card. Avoids the "all your eggs in one basket" syndrome, plus I'd have to work to hard to fill up those 4 gig things in a day. Just me though. You may want larger cards if you shoot video, which I do not. I'd say - Depends upon how fast and furious you shoot, and how often you download. I use San Disk Extreme II and III, 1g and 2g cards, and download almost every day. You get about 285 full res pics on a 1g card. I suggest getting the fastest cards you can afford as the speed of the card will partially determine how fast the buffer clears, which in turn, effects how many shots you get on a single burst in burst mode. Personally, I use several smaller cards - 1 and 2 gig - rather than a larger card. Avoids the "all your eggs in one basket" syndrome, plus I'd have to work to hard to... » Read More I'd say - Depends upon how fast and furious you shoot, and how often you download. I use San Disk Extreme II and III, 1g and 2g cards, and download almost every day. You get about 285 full res pics on a 1g card. I suggest getting the fastest cards you can afford as the speed of the card will partially determine how fast the buffer clears, which in turn, effects how many shots you get on a single burst in burst mode. Personally, I use several smaller cards - 1 and 2 gig - rather than a larger card. Avoids the "all your eggs in one basket" syndrome, plus I'd have to work to hard to fill up those 4 gig things in a day. Just me though. You may want larger cards if you shoot video, which I do not. « Show Less
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Yes, i every 30secs(max 600 shots), 1 every minute (max 300 shots)etc. This is a very sophicated camera. To get a better understanding I would suggust David Busch's "Nikon Coolpix P7100 Guide to Digital Photography". A good investment.
1157231
Thanks, Philip. I kept mine, still really pleased. Learned that shooting in "Auto" is my best friend right now (clear crisp photos at any distance from macro to nearly all zoom), but glad to hear the "shaken when stirred" is not a sign of something wrong, or about to go wrong. Best wishes.
1136873
I have had this camera about a month and came a cross this site. http://www.tlc-systems.com/artzen2-0083.htm It is the most helpful piece of info on how to use the darn thing as well as explain the good and bad points of taking pictures with this particular camera. The pix's are amazing and the author is an excellant writer. Hope you get as much out of it. It is a bit long but take it one piece at a at time and by the end of the piece you will have more than enough info to Move forward in using this amazing camera and making some amazing photo memories. Good luck
969026
I haven't had any issues with the buffer that you wouldn't have with any other camera. If you are shooting in high res JPEG only, the camera can easily squeeze off 6 straight shots (3 per second). If you shoot RAW+JPEG, you can expect 3-4 before lag catches up with you. Most sources say a high speed SD card helps also, but I just use regular Sandisk cards without effecting what I want to accomplish. I got some great shots in continuous mode with RAW+JPEG of an Osprey diving into the water and coming back out with a trout. It sounds like the salesman wanted to sell you on a high dollar "professional" Nikon or Canon Mark II with a higher profit margin.
110383
In any mode, push the Qual/ISO/WB button and you can access Raw shooting. I went to the Nikon Website and downloaded (and printed) the full instruction book. It's huge but worth having. It's almost 300 pages but if you print it 4 to a page it's not too bad.
1850869
yes, you get empty shots, but also gets get good ones. purchase the biggest memory card you can afford. I use a 32gb card, fills up in 3 days with HD 30 second videos.